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29: Seat Ibiza – better than its big brother Leon

Top 100 cars for 2019: VW Group supermini is a smooth-driving small hatch

Wed, Dec 5, 2018, 05:20

The Seat Ibiza’s 1.0-litre petrol engine, with or without a turbo, is a delight to drive, and can return very good economy

Seat’s supermini got an early run at things this time, as Seat was the first to get to use the VW Group’s small-car MQB-A0 chassis, which is also now found underneath the Arona crossover and the VW Polo (with more to follow).

Seat sure made good use of the new underpinnings, and created a smooth-driving small hatch, which just happens to have plenty of space in the back, and a decent sized boot. Indeed, it’s a little difficult right now to see quite why you’d upgrade to the more expensive Leon hatch, which is due for replacement soon anyway. The 1.0-litre petrol engine, with or without a turbo, is a delight to drive, and can return very good economy.

The 1.6 TDI diesel option is available but when the cheaper petrol model can be almost as economical in the real world, what’s the point? All of which can be said for the Volkswagen Polo, but for an extra €500-€1,000. Basic non-turbo models have disappeared from price lists for now, thanks to delays over WLTP certification, which makes the cheapest current Ibiza pretty pricey.